IGA Istanbul Airport CEO Selahattin Bilgen stated that the airport is targeting approximately 90 million passengers in 2026, adding, “We will continue our efforts to attract new airlines to Istanbul. Our goal is to bring six or seven more airlines to Istanbul next year. At the same time, we will also work to increase the frequencies of airlines already operating from our airport.” Bilgen also noted that the construction of the fourth runway, currently underway as part of the second phase of development at Istanbul Airport, is planned to be completed by the end of August 2026.
Selahattin Bilgen held a press conference to evaluate the performance of IGA Istanbul Airport over the course of 2025. Highlighting that significant achievements were made across many areas in 2025, Bilgen emphasized that ambitious goals have also been set for 2026 and shared the airport’s plans accordingly.
As of 2025, IGA Istanbul Airport reached its highest operational performance to date. The airport recorded a daily flight record of 1,707 flights on July 18, 2025, and a daily passenger record of 282,835 passengers on August 2, 2025. Frequently selected as “The World’s Best Airport” by various organizations, Istanbul Airport also became the first airport in Europe to achieve Level 5 accreditation, the highest level, under the Airports Council International (ACI) Customer Experience Accreditation Program.
“2025 Was a Successful Year for IGA Istanbul Airport.”
Reflecting on 2025, Bilgen said:
“2025 was a year shaped at times by the effects of regional political instability, but overall, it was a year in which Istanbul and Türkiye continued to move toward their aviation goals. Specifically for IGA Istanbul Airport, it was a successful year. We are closing the year having achieved many of the targets we set at the beginning. For example, at the start of last year, we said our goal was to exceed 84 million passengers.”
“Transition to Triple Parallel Runway Operations Was a Key Milestone”
Emphasizing plans to attract new airlines to Istanbul, Bilgen also underlined the airport’s sustainability goals, noting that Istanbul Airport aims to become the first major airport in the world to produce all of its electricity from renewable sources.
“We stated that by commissioning our 240 MW solar power plant, we aim to become the first major airport to generate all of its electricity from renewable energy. Likewise, the transition to triple parallel runway operations was a first in Europe. This represented one of our most important milestones,” he said.
“We Are Entering the New Year with Ambitious Goals: 90 Million Passengers”
Bilgen stressed that these achievements signal even bigger ambitions for 2026:
“We are closing the year by entering a very ambitious period. At the same time, 2025 was the year Istanbul Airport became the world’s most connected airport. According to the Airports Council International reports, Istanbul Airport became the airport with the highest connectivity not only in Europe but also globally. As we often emphasize, there is a direct relationship between high connectivity and economic growth. In this sense, we can say that we continued to contribute to the national economy.”
Looking ahead, Bilgen added:
“As we move into 2026, we will once again begin the year with significant goals. Our target is to welcome close to 90 million passengers at our airport next year.”
He continued:
“Our efforts to attract new airlines to Istanbul will continue. Our goal is to bring six or seven more airlines to Istanbul next year. At the same time, we will work to increase the frequency of airlines already operating here. Therefore, 2026 looks set to be a year with deeper connectivity and new destinations added.”
“At the Top of Europe in Cargo”
Bilgen noted that 2025 was also a milestone year in terms of cargo operations:
“For a long time, Istanbul Airport has ranked at the top in Europe in passenger traffic and daily flight numbers. In cargo, 2025 was the year we surpassed 2 million tons, becoming Europe’s number one cargo airport annually. Previously, Frankfurt had led in this area. In 2025, we brought this leadership to Istanbul.”
“The Sooner the Halkalı Metro Line, the Better”
Speaking about the Halkalı–Istanbul Airport metro line, Bilgen said:
“This is a project outside IGA’s direct management, but we are following it closely. The expansion of metro connections in recent years has significantly strengthened the airport’s link to the city. Today, around 10% of our passengers reach the airport by metro. As for the Halkalı line, we are following developments just like you. The sooner, the better.”
“There Is Strong Passenger Demand from Canada to Istanbul.”
Bilgen emphasized that while Istanbul is already a global aviation hub, there are still new destinations to be connected, particularly in North America.
“One of these is Canada. There is very strong passenger demand from Canada to Istanbul. More than half of the passengers arriving in Istanbul from Canada come via connecting flights, which clearly shows strong demand for direct services,” he said.
Bilgen highlighted recent progress with Canada, adding:
“In previous years, the absence of a Canadian airline flying directly to Istanbul, combined with bilateral aviation agreements limiting frequencies to 12 per week, restricted growth. In this context, Air Transat launching flights last week represents a very significant development.”
“Fourth Main Runway Planned to Be Completed in August 2026”
Concluding his remarks, Bilgen spoke about second-phase investments at the airport:
“Our second-phase investments continued throughout 2025. These include ongoing runway investments. The fourth main runway is planned to be completed by the end of August 2026, and the process is progressing according to schedule.”
He added that second-phase investments also include expanding terminal capacity:
“For example, increasing terminal capacity to 120 million passengers. Technically, the existing terminal was already designed to support this capacity. However, some minor adjustments within the terminal will be required to maintain the highest service standards while reaching the 120 million passenger capacity.”